Even a hard life can have some good days
by Portkeys Miss-Mione
Summary: Harry has to learn to live without Sirius. Hermione tries to support him by owling him every day. Then she has a surprise for him, since she's turning sixteen in September, her parents let her go on a skiing holiday alone and she can take someone along, .
1. Chapter one

Disclaimer: This doesn't belong to me, this wonderful world belongs to the great allmighty J.K. Rowling. I'm only borrowing her great characters.   
  
A/N: This is my first fanfic ever. I've read tons and tons of them, but this is the first one I write myself. There are lots of them in my head, so I decided I had to start writing them down. I'm Dutch, so my English is far from perfect. I also don't have a beta, so if there are people who want help me with that, tell me. I hope you like my fic.  
  
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Even a hard life can have some good days.  
  
Chapter 1: Different, but also exactly the same.  
  
It again was a very hot summer in Little Whinging. For the now 16-year old boy living at nr 4 privet drive the summer was the most boring time of the year. He then had to live with his terrible relatives and had to miss all his friends. All of this because he is a wizard and he is the boy who lived. This was how it went every year. This year was exactly the same, but also different. It was worse, but also better. The one person he had loved like a father in his young life, his godfather Sirius, had died about a month ago while fighting for him. After he had lost his parents to He-who-must-not-be-named when he was one year old, he had now lost the closest thing he had to a father. Sirius. It had been terrible so far living with it, and it still was. Just this one little thing kept him going: one of his 2 best friends owled him every single day. He loved it. It had become a habit, and it had helped them to become even better friends then they were before. He had even risked calling her Mione instead of Hermione and she hadn't even protested. He was sure he was the first one ever to be allowed to use a shorter version of her name, even her parents couldn't do that without her getting mad. So now he always called her Mione when he wrote. It were those letters that made his summer vacation bearable.   
  
Today hadn't been different. After a long day of sitting in his room thinking about Sirius, doing shores for his uncle and aunt and preparing dinner for them, he had finally received his daily pep talk letter from Hermione and he was going to read it before he went to bed for another night of troubled sleep.  
  
Dear Harry.   
  
Here I am again. I hope you're all right today and that those muggles you have there didn't treat you too bad. My letters are quite similar every time I write you, but todays letter is going to be a little bit different.  
  
I have quite a surprise for you, but I believe you'll like it. Here it comes: because I'm turning 16, I may go skiing on my own next Christmas, but only if I ask someone along. I'm sure you here me coming already, Harry, would you want to go skiing with me next Christmas? I know you haven't done it before, but it isn't that difficult and I would really like it if you came along. Dumbledore says it's okay. Would you please?   
  
Forever yours,   
  
Hermione.   
  
He was quite surprised when he read the letter, no one had ever asked him to go on vacation. To be exact, in the sixteen years of his young life, he hadn't gone on a holidat at all. He had visited his friends, yes, but you couldn't call that going on a holiday.   
  
He didn't need to think about it, he loved the idea. (*And not only the idea, ... hehehe*) So he owled her back that same evening, unlike what he almost always did with Hermiones letters, owl back the next day so he could tell her about his dreams too.  
  
Dear Mione,  
  
You were right. I like the idea, I would be honoured if I could go along. I've never been further away from "home" then Hogwarts, I bet it must be wonderful, but what about Ron? I'm sure he would like to go too. Write back soon.  
  
Forever yours,   
  
Harry.   
  
Hermione received his reply the very next morning and when she read it she thought:   
  
"Oh great, now he asks about Ron, it's hard enough that I had to choose." It was true, she had had to choose, though she hadn't doubted for a single second, she had chosen Harry immediately. BUT, she couldn't tell him that, now could she? "It would be a bit suspicious," she thought," after all they were both supposed to be her best friend, the one just as much as the other."   
  
She decided not to tell the whole truth, a little white lie couldn't hurt anyone. This wasn't like Hermione at all, but she didn't want him to know her little secret.   
  
Dear Harry,   
  
I thought about Ron too. Maybe I could have asked him, but I could take only one person so I had to choose. But then he told me that he and his family were going to Romania for Christmas, so I didn't have to choose anymore. I hope you do well. Hear you soon.   
  
Love you,   
  
Hermione.   
  
She reread her letter before sending it and thought: "This should do it, I think, I'm only messing with the order of things a bit. I'm not going to tell him that I chose him before Ron told me they were going to Romania for Christmas. After all Ron couldn't have gone with me even if I had asked, he said his parents had told him they were all going, without any exceptions." Like this she silenced her conscience. And then just before sending the letter she noticed it, "Love YOU" she had written. "How could I," she thought,"How could I not see that. I would have given myself away completely! Thank Merlin I noticed it just in time." She changed it in just "Love" and gave the letter to her owl who happily took it to Harry.  
  
Again he received his long awaited letter after a long day of work. (His aunt and uncle always let him work a lot and he always waited for Hermiones letter to come.) After reading it he send her a quick reply:  
  
Dear Mione,  
  
It's all settled then I suppose. I just didn't want to keep Ron from going, he deserves it more than me. But, he can't go, so I get to go. Yes! A holiday. Thanks a lot for asking me along, if there's something I can do in return let me know okay. I hope I see you guys soon. Write back soon.   
  
Love you,   
  
Harry.  
  
Unlike Hermione, Harry didn't notice his little slip-up. Luckily for him, or not, while reading it Hermione thought: "Could it be? No, I'm imagining things, he doesn't love me like that, he probably just loves me like a sister." How wrong could she be!  
  
With this, the skiing-holiday issue was settled. They kept owling eachother every day and soon the summer vacation came to an end.  
  
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A/N: I hoped you guys liked it. Since I've entered the wonderful world of authors, I would like to get some reviews too. I was used to review myself, I almost always try to do so when I read a story, so pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease review. (Dropping on my knees and begging for some reviews.) I could use some help, review review review, pleeeeeeeeease. Tell me what you like, and what you don't. Now, enough of this, just review, I would appreciate it soooooooooooo much. See ya, I'm going to continue writing now.  
  
Greetz, Miss_Mione. (Oh, and you someone please tell me what OC means, like in the pairings, RW/OC) 


	2. Chapter two

A/N: I love you all. I love those reviews. It makes me write even more. (Hint hint, review if you want more chapters and you want them sooner.) If you all keep telling me you like it, I'll keep writing. At the moment I've lots of time to do so, so I do write much, but I'm not going to spoil you. I'm going to keep some backup for in times I don't have time to write. (Exams are in a month you know.) But enough, I'll probably have time even then, ... Here you go with the next chapter, I hope you like it.  
  
Chapter two: Back Again.  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione were going back to Hogwarts in less than a week, 4 days to be exact. Hermione had owled both Harry and Ron the same question. She wanted to know if they would like to go to Diagon Alley the next day to buy their school supplies. A while later she had received two replies. She wasn't the least bit upset with the first one and simply loved the second one.  
  
Dear Hermione,  
  
I think I'll have to disappoint you. We went to Diagon Alley with the whole family only yesterday and I still have to degnome the garden. I asked my mom if I could go again tomorrow, only to keep you guys company and said that I could still degnome the garden after we came back but she doesn't want to hear it. I think she's a bit moody because Fred and George demonstrated their 25th new prank for this summer and they blew up the kitchen table with it. (For the 7th time this summer.) I'm sure that if you asked a bit sooner I would have been able to come, but know... I hope you guys aren't too sad about it. I'll see you at Kings Cross in a couple of days.   
  
Greetz,  
  
Ron.  
  
Dear Mione,  
  
I would love to come. I told my uncle I had to go there to get my supplies and that they would kick me out of the school if I didn't get them. Now he's even willing to drive me to London and pick me up again. If it's all right with you, I'll see you in the Leaky Cauldron at 10 am. See you then.   
  
Love,  
  
Harry.  
  
She yelled "Yes!" at the top of her lungs when she had read them both. She had feared that Ron would be able to come and Harry won't, but now it was the other way around. She would spend a whole day at Diagon Alley alone with Harry. She felt wonderful.   
  
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The next morning quite early, Harry awoke from a night of relatively peaceful sleep. He didn't know why, but since he knew he was going to see Hermione soon (and maybe Ron too) he didn't think that much about Sirius anymore, and naturally he slept better. He jumped out of bed and went to take a shower, careful to not wake his aunt, uncle and cousin. Somewhere about twenty minutes later, cleaned up and ready for the day, he went downstairs to grab some breakfast. He was surprised to hear his uncle getting up already and taking a shower too. An hour later, he and his uncle left for London, his uncle very happy about the fact that he was going to have almost a full day without Harry.  
  
That same morning, also quite early, Hermione too awoke. But she hadn't slept as good as Harry. The idea that she was going to spend the day with Harry had made her restless and she hadn't been able to fall asleep until somewhere about four a clock. At half past eight, after having taken a shower and grabbed some breakfast, she too left for London.  
  
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Harry arrived first and he entered the Leaky Cauldron while his uncle was trying very hard not to be seen near someone who entered such a weird pub. When he entered, a lot of eyes turned to him, and soon the whispering about The-boy-who-lived (-a-couple-of-times) started. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a butterbeer from Tom, the bartender.   
  
He didn't have to wait long for Hermione to arrive too, and when he saw her he ordered another butterbeer for his friend and then stood up to envelop her in a bone-crushing hug. After having said hello, (it took them more then five minutes to release eachother), they talked about their summers while finishing their butterbeers. When finished, Harry paid for the drinks and asked Tom to help them with the wall, because they still weren't allowed to use magic outside the castle.  
  
"So", he said, "is there something you had planned to do first, or are we just going to look around for some time?"   
  
'I thought we might grab the ingredients we are going to need for Potions this year, get our books and then we can still decide what to do next,' she answered.  
  
"That sounds great, I'm in," he said, and with that he offered her his arm, which she took gratefully.  
  
They went to the apothecary and spent more than an hour in Flourish and Botts, coming out with two copies of each sixth year book, and another five books Hermione had chosen. 'Light reading', like she called it.   
  
"Mione," Harry started,"wouldn't it have been better if we hadn't gone to Flourish and Botts yet, we could have done it later on, and then we wouldn't have had those books to carry all day."  
  
'He's right,"she thought,"if he would only stop looking so handsome and being so cute. Normally I always think about such thinks, what's happening to me?' Out loud she said: "You're right, I didn't think about that. But if we asked politely, I think Tom would keep an eye on our books, don't you think?'  
  
"You're right, let's go!" he replied.  
  
They started walking towards the Leaky Cauldron, planning on leaving their books there, so they could walk freely. It wasn't easy, walking with ten books in your arms, but they had to. Less then twenty steps later, Hermione bumped into Professor McGonnagall and Harry bumped into Professor Dumbledore. Apparently, those two had been engaged in a heated discussion and for that hadn't seen Harry and Hermione.   
  
"Sorry," Harry muttered," I wasn't looking where..." and then he saw who he had bumped into and said: "Look Mione, it's Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonnagall."   
  
"Indeed Harry, it is us," Dumbledore said," and there is no need for excuses, we weren't looking where we walked either."  
  
"Hi Professors," Hermione fell in," what a pleasant surprise to see you here."  
  
Now it was McGonnagalls turn to answer: "Nice to see you too, but were is Mr. Weasley?"  
  
"He and his family have been here two days ago, and since this was quite a last minute trip, he wasn't able to convince his mother to let him come again," Hermione told her.  
  
"Ah, I see," McGonnagall said with a little twinkle in her eye that only Dumbledore saw because it had left as soon as it came, "Now, we don't have time to stay I'm afraid, do we Albus?"  
  
"No we don't Professor, I believe we'll have to go."  
  
When they started to leave, after helping picking up the books that lay scattered on the street, Hermione got an idea: "Professor McGonnagall, would you please shrink these books for us so we don't have to carry them all the way?"  
  
"Of course I will," she replied, and with a flick of her wand, all the books fitted in their pockets.  
  
"Thanks professor," both Harry and Hermione said, "and see you soon."  
  
And with a goodbye, their professor left.  
  
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"Well here we are again, back to were we started, nothing to carry and lots of free time, what do you want to do?" Harry asked.  
  
"It's almost one, I think we should go and get something to eat," she answered, " let's go to Florean's, I could use some cooling down."  
  
"Mmmm, ice cream, I haven't had any this summer," Harry told her.   
  
"That's settled then, ice cream it shall be," she decided, silently cursing the Dursleys for treating Harry that bad.  
  
When they arrived, they took a seat outside the shop and ordered a strawberry sundae for Hermione and a double Dame Blanche for Harry.  
  
The ice cream arrived soon and while eating they talked about what was going to happen during the next school year. No one knew, of course, but imagining what something could be like is always fun. Soon they had finished their food and were preparing to leave. Harry wanted to pay, but Hermione insisted to do so too, so finally they agreed it to be a late Birthday present for Harry and Hermione paid.  
  
The two friends spent the rest of the afternoon walking through Diagon Alley looking at various shops. Far too soon it all came to an end when it was time for Harry to head back to the Leaky Cauldron where his uncle would pick him up. They walked back in silence, both unhappy the day was over. When they arrived, Tom enlarged their books back to normal and they had to say goodbye.   
  
"Look at the bright side of it," Hermione told him, "Were going to see eachother at Kings Cross in two days."  
  
"Yeah, but then Ron is going to be there too," he thought. But he said: "Yeah, you're right, I'll survive that, it's only two days." Again he gave her a bone-crushing hug and when they parted Harry said: "See you then." Hermione decided to try her luck one last time and gave him a peck on the cheek after saying goodbye too. She was thinking "I hope he's just like other boys and doesn't think I'm behaving weird, but, we have been best friends for years now, there's nothing wrong with a small kiss on a cheek."  
  
What she didn't know, (*Actually there was something she didn't know*), was that Harry wasn't like any other boy his age and when he stepped out of sight, he placed his fingers on the spot she had placed the kiss and thought: "Could it be true? Could she love me back? No, she doesn't, I'm imagining things. We have been best friends for years, that's why she does it." with that he put the thought somewhere deep in the back of his head and went back to normal, stepping in his uncles waiting car, getting a lift back "home".   
  
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A/N: I hope you liked it, I enjoyed writing it very much. Now, pleeeeeeeeeease, give me some reviews. If there are authors among you, you know how fun it is when you get a review. Even if it is short, pleeeeeeeeeease let me know what you think of it. I love you all who take the time to read my story (and those who review even more). I hope I can finish the next chapter soon, I know what waiting is like, it isn't fun, but I can't promise anything, my parents are back home and I don't want them to read my stories so bear with me. Please review.  
  
Greetz, Miss_Mione. 


	3. Chapter three

A/N: Hey, I'm back. Thanks for reviewing. I hope I didn't make you wait too long, but my parents have been bothering me a lot, so I couldn't really find the time to write. They're going to be away for couple of hours now, and I will use the precious time to write you a chapter. R/R please.  
  
Chapter three: Returning home.  
  
The two last days had passed terrible slow for the Hogwarts trio. They hadn't been able to communicate with one another in those two days and, as you all know, time doesn't want to speed up when you are waiting for something.  
  
Finally, time was there, and the three of them were standing at platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross together with the Weasleys and part of the Order. Ron and Ginny said goodbye to their brothers and parents for another year, Harry to both the Weasleys and the Order and Hermione had left hers only minutes ago. Mrs. Weasley was getting sentimental again.  
  
"Oh, we'll all miss you Harry, we'll miss you very much," she said, before taking him in a bone-crushing, warm, motherly hug.   
  
After he had freed himself he responded: "I'll miss you too, you can't imagine."  
  
They heard the signal telling them the train was about to leave and ran over to jump on it before it started moving.  
  
"Take care," Mr. Weasley yelled.  
  
"Sure dad," Ron and Ginny replied,  
  
"I will," Hermione followed,  
  
and "I'll take care of h.. them all," Harry finished, barely able to correct himself in time.  
  
"What's happening to me?" he thought while running after his friends, "why can't I just behave normal anymore?"  
  
His thoughts stopped when he stepped on the train and settled in the compartment Neville had kindly kept free for the six of the department of mysteries. Soon they were all busy talking and telling about their summers, and no one noticed Harry and Hermione shooting glances at eachother, not even Harry and Hermione themselves.  
  
Soon the train slowed down and the six of them took their belongings and went for the carriages that would bring them to the castle. When they arrived they took their seats in the Great Hall and waited for the sorting ceremony to be finished, so they could have some food.   
  
At last both Harry and Hermione stopped behaving weird. Maybe it was because they had settled back in their usual routine of being at Hogwarts, but probably it was just because they had had too much to think about today.  
  
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The school year went on like the years before. Harry and Hermione kept schooting glances at eachother but that was it, nothing else happened.   
  
It was obvious to the whole school that the two of them loved eachother and belonged together, but Harry and Hermione themselves, and Ron too, didn't get it.  
  
This was until halfway through October, the morning before the first quidditch match of the year.  
  
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All players of the quidditch team and their best friends had awoken early that morning and were now sitting in the great hall having some breakfast.  
  
Most of the people sitting there were looking quite nervous and were just picking at their food. Of course Hermione had noticed this, and she decided to do something about it.   
  
"Hey guys, no need to be stressed, Hufflepuff isn't that good, you can beat them easily!" she said.  
  
"Thanks Mione," Harry told her, "how do you always know the right thing to say? It's really wonderful to have you around in times like this."  
  
"Oh, it's nothing, I just said what I though, I'm glad I could help," she replied, "and now you all eat you're breakfast, otherwise you might even lose to Hufflepuff, no one can play with an empty stomach.   
  
"At your orders my dear lady," she heard some of them mutter under their breath before eating their food.   
  
A couple of minutes later, they finished their breakfast and were ready to leave for the Quidditch pitch.  
  
"Good luck and take care," Hermione said to all of them. Then she turned to Harry: "And you Harry, be careful, I wouldn't know how to live my life without you," and gave him a peck on his cheek.  
  
For a moment, everyone though she had better not done that, because he went in some kind of trance, but then he came back to normal and with a wide smile on his face and completely confident they would win, he announced:  
  
"Come on guys, are you ready? Let's go kick their butts!"  
  
With that they left the Great hall and went for the stadium.  
  
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The weather was terrible again. None of the players really saw what he or she was doing, and because of that, nothing much had happened yet. The score was 40-30 to Hufflepuff.   
  
After about half an hour Harry, who was determined to win, had had enough of the cloudy sight caused by the rain, so he flew to Hermione.   
  
"Mione, what's the spell to make my glasses repel the rain?" he yelled.  
  
"It's Impervious Harry, imPERvious, and just the swish and flick like with all simple spells."  
  
"Thanks a lot Mione, now we'll win for sure!"  
  
After a try or three, he succeeded the spell on his own glasses and then flew to the other Gryffindor players wearing glasses to tell them. When all of them were done things got better. In no time, the score was 100-50 to Gryffindor and the Hufflepuffs were getting desperate. Less than five minutes later, it was completely over. Harry Potter, youngest and best seeker in Hogwarts history had seen the snitch and went after it, Hufflepuff's seeker didn't stand a chance. The game ended 250 to 50 and all Gryffindors started celebrating their victory.  
  
Harry didn't go down with the rest of the players to change, he flew straight to Hermione, tossed his Firebolt aside and took her in a bone-crushing hug.   
  
"Thanks," he whispered, "without your help this could have been a though game."  
  
"My pleasure Harry," she replied, "after all I'm a Gryffindor, I want our team to win too."  
  
Together they walked back to the common room where they sat down in their favourite couch by the fire. The rest of their house was busy celebrating so they didn't see what came next.   
  
No one ever knew where he got the courage, probably the victory had boosted his confidence, but suddenly he took her hand in his, looked in her beautiful brown eyes and said:  
  
"Mione, I love you."  
  
She didn't know what to say. "What?" she stammered.  
  
"It's nothing, I should have known better, you could never love me back, how stupid of me," he said and moved to stand up.  
  
"Wait," she said hastily, "It's not...I...that..." She didn't find the right words so instead she did the one thing she had dreamed about for years, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the passion she had inside her. A few moments later she pulled back and whispered:  
  
"I love you too Harry, I have for years."  
  
"Oh Mione, why didn't you tell me, I think I've always loved you, I just didn't realise," he told her.  
  
"I don't know Harry, but we've found eachother now, don't we?"   
  
They sat together for some time and then Harry said:  
  
"Mione, let me go and take a shower, I'll be back in no time."  
  
"Alright Harry, I'll be waiting."  
  
He gave her a last small soft kiss and then left.  
  
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A/N: I hope you liked it. Please review and tell me what you think of it. I'll try and write more soon, but my parents are really bugging me and I'm going away with my school for a few days beginning on Monday, so I don't know when I'll have another chapter up.   
  
Greetz, Miss_Mione. 


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